Central High School - Mirror Yearbook (Birmingham, AL)

Page 16 text:

JIMMY-CHEMIST Jimmy. Freshman, had a great ambition. He was to be a chemist and have a big spacious laboratory. Many were the dangerous experiments he intended to perform within its walls. Jimmy’s brother was one of those much-to-be- admired personages who bear the dignified title of Senior. William understood all about science. Only yesterday he had explained to Jimmy the dehydrating effect of surphuric acid. Th word dehydrating being somewhat lengthy and scientific. Jimmy promptly adopted it and stored it in the recesses of his active mind. There it grew. Having listened very attentively to his brother’s explanation he remembered the details and decided to try the experiment himself. By much coaxing, he procured the dime necessary to buy the acid, and after school that evening he hurried home with the treasurd bottle in his pocket. As he entered the house he saw the cat dozing in the sun in the living room window. The minute he spied her a little imp of mischief entered his head and he decided to try the strength of the acid on the innocent cat’s tail. (Thoughtlessly, he put the bottle of acid on his mother’s highly polished table upon which was the most honored family heirloom, a scarf crocheted by his great greatgrandmother.) Cautiously he withdrew the stopper from the bottle and approaching his sleeping victim touched her tail with the acid-moistened stopper. She broke all speed records in leaving the window, and leaped to the table, overturning the bottle of acid. Unmindful of the damage done, she made with much alacrity for the outside. Instantly the highly polished table top was pure charcoal and the scarf was a black, oily rag. Jimmy, overcome with the thought of his dire peril, hastily retired to the basement where he kept his apparatus.” better known to the family as junk. He locked the door behind him and put the key in his pocket. His mother, sewing quietly upstairs, sensing something amiss from the sudden slamming of the basement door, put up her sewing and came down stairs to investigate. When she saw the havoc that had been wrought she sank almost fainting in the Morris chair. William, entering at this juncture and sec'ng his mother in such a complete state of collapse, was certain that someone in the family was dead. I ind-the real cause of his mother's grief, on investigation, he went to the kitchen and returned with a bottle of ammonia. He poured this on the table to prevent the caid from doing further harm. His mother, being samewhat quieted by his prompt and efficient action, then considered what might be the cause of the calamity. The tell tale bottle of acid lay on the table, but the cork was nowhere to be found. Jimmy! both exclaimed in one breath. He's in the basement. William cooly assured his mother over his shoulder as he started in that direction. She heard him pounding on the door. Jimmy, open that door! Did you hear me. Jimmy? James Henderson Thomas, open that door! Jimmy, on the inside, cowered and trembled. William s emphatic voice told him what to expect. At first he thought of sticking it out. bui after a Page Txvelve

Page 15 text:

MOTHER NATURE’S BLUE Once upon a time, a long time ago. as all good stories begin, Mother Nature sat planning the color scheme for the world. She had before her huge pots of the various colors and as she mixed them and tested them she discovered that yellow and blue made green. She admired it so much that she decided to make it her prevailing color. And so she began making things green. She made so many that nearly everything in nature was green. Then she found that nearly all her lovely blue was gone; and she remembered about varity being the spice of life. So she began putting the finishing touches in contrasting colors: the yellow, the red, the lavender, the pink, the white, the brown and the orange she distributed all over the earth. But she saved for her favorites, her most beautiful things in nature, blue. Then with one broad stroke of her powerful brush she painted the covering of her child Earth, the sky. a most delicate blue. But fearing that the people of Earth might not fully appreciate the bounteous gift, she arranged that this blue might be seen only on certain days. And to this day it is only when Mother Nature deigns to smile on us that we are allowed to see her blue in the sky. Dame Nature, after tinting her sky. came down and selected the very smallest, tiniest things in nature to be dressed in blue—the Fringed Gentian. the tiny field dasiy or Johnny-Jump-Up. the violet, and the forget-me-not. As she was coloring these little things, she heard a very mournful little tune sung by a very modest little bird in one of her green trees, and her generous heart, overflowing in pity, bestowed upon him some of her precious blue. And to this day the blue bird is Mother Nature’s sign to the folk of Earth that the beauty of another springtime has come to them. Mother Nature is after all rather human and likes to be praised, even as you and I. It was just after she had finished the blue bird that two mortals came along; one of whom admired her blue bird, having never seen the new color before, while the other scorned it. and in appreciation the generous Mother gave to the one blue eyes and left the other with black. And to this day some people have blue eyes and some brown. You see. Mother Nature after awhile felt sorry for the black-eyed folk and softened their eyes into a beautiful brown, which now quite equals the blue in beauty. Then the great artist made some natural mirrors on earth in which her handiwork might be reflected in beautiful little upside-down pictures, after which she hurried back to her home in fear lest she give away the remaining bit of her precious blue, which was now quite small. That remaining bit she used to make her sunsets of. And even to this day when she is especially pleased with her godchild. Earth, she will bestow on her the most beautiful of gifts, an azure morning and a silver and blue sunset. MILDRED MIMS. 'll. Page Eletrn

Page 17 text:

while, deciding it would be better to have it over, he opened the door sullenly and allowed himself to be dragged into the presence of his mother. “James Henderson Thomas. she demanded, “why did you spill that stuff on the table? Mamma. 1 didn't turn that acid over. Jimmy replied. Well, who did? his mother asked, getting more and more exasperated. It happened accidently, Jimmy almost tearfully answered. All right. James. Mrs. Thomas concluded. We’ll wait until your father comes from work tonight. Jimmy well knew that there was no hope of escape, but he also knew that exposure of the real cause of all the m'schief was highly dangerous. With all his heart he wished that the cat had never been born. Mr. Thomas, coming home tired out from the day’s work, was doubly disgusted with Jimmy’s misbehavior. With true respect to Jimmy s fortitude. charity compels me to leave the events of that night a sealed book. The next day Jimmy's wounded pride and skin were healed to some extent. Upon the innocent cat, however, he wreaked his vengeance. Phis was expressed in various ways. A thorough sousing in very cold water and a sizzling shock from a Ford spark coal were two of the torments suffered by the poor cat. It seemed that Jimmy’s misfortunes were not yet over by any means, for during the day his mother had visited the next door neighbor, who was a shrewd, gossipy old lady. When Mrs. Thomas had finished her tale of woe. Mrs. Jones asked a question. What time was it when the accident happened? she inquired. Oh. about three fifteen. Jimmy's mother replied. Mrs. Jones gossiped cheerfully. Yesterday, at that time, I happened to be looking through your window and I saw Jimmy with a cork in his hand approaching the cat. When he touched her she immediately jumped onto your table. I couldn’t see what happened, but 1 heard Jimmy running away. Then light dawned upon poor Mrs. Thomas. She left Mrs. Jones' house before that worthy could have time to add anything further. When she reached home she found Jimmy in the basement making a queer noise. She called him to her. What was that queer noise you were making?’ she asked. Oh. I was only testing for carbon dioxide by blowing my breath in lime water. His mother, not to be led aside by what she did not understand, got down to business. What did you do to the cat yesterday? Jimmy resorted to the usual Nuthin’. Jimmy, tell the truth. Aw. I just put a stopper on her tail. What stopper? Aw. the stopper out o’ a bottle. What bottle? Aw. the bottle that had the acid in it. Page Thirteen